Italian Heritage Website Created By Local Residents

Gene Morabito remembers his father as a man who immersed himself in the Ellwood City community.  As a prominent local contractor, Cosmo Morabito played an active role in building Ellwood City both literally and figuratively.  Cosmo passed away in 1946 when Gene was 11.  Sadly, in the 70 years since his passing, Cosmo’s contributions to the Ellwood community are largely forgotten, even by his own grandchildren.  Many of the buildings he constructed still stand, the Catholic Center, the old Ellport school among them, but few people are left who remember the builder or the local club that Cosmo started in 1934, The Workingman’s Social Club on Division Ave.  That organization has long closed its doors but in its day, it provided a critical respite for its hard-working blue collar patrons who comprised the population of Ellwood in the ‘40s and ‘50s.

Cosmo, like many immigrants from Europe in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, came to America seeking a better life.  The rich natural resources and associated industry in Western Pennsylvania made it a logical landing spot for them.   To this area, they would bring their entrenched work ethic, rich cultural heritage, and deep love for their adopted country.    These traits drove them to be key players in the development of the region.

Seeing that the memory of their contributions was fading with the passage of time, Gene decided to take action.  He wanted a way to memorialize the contributions his father and many others, particularly those of Italian decent, made to this region.  Thus was born the Elwood City Italian American Heritage Foundation.  Gene called upon a group who, like him, represented the second and third generation offspring of these immigrants.  John Biondi, Grace DeCaria, John DeCaro, Sr., Norman Giancola, Cosmo Morabito, Bob Morabito, Virginia Ottaviani, Marino Parascenzo, Veronica Pacella, Ray Santillo, Samuel Teolis, and Karen Williams formed the nucleus of a group devoted to finding a way to preserve this heritage.

In the initial meeting, Gene was selected to lead the group.  He outlined his idea that he wanted to start with the Italian-American contributions in the hope that other ethnic groups would follow suit.  This, he noted, would create a repository for all local citizens of any ethnicity to preserve the heritage of their ancestors’ contributions.

After selecting the group’s name, Ellwood City Italian American Heritage Foundation, it was quickly realized that the internet was the best vehicle to accomplish the goal to celebrate Italian-Americans and the impact they have had on the Ellwood City Area and surrounding regions.  John Sovich, who among other duties teaches internet technologies at Ellwood City’s Lincoln Junior-Senior High School, came onboard as a website designer and builder. John currently serves as the webmaster for the interactive website he created, www.eciahf.org.  The ECIAHF hopes this site will become a venue to learn and discuss all things Italian as they relate to Ellwood City and the surrounding area.

Visitors to the website can submit pictures, videos, and family stories that reflect the enormous contribution and dynamic impact the first and second generation Italian-American families had and still have in our businesses, churches, schools and organizations within Ellwood City.

“These men and women formed the fabric that makes up our hometown.  I want the generations that follow to know how rich and colorful that fabric truly is” Gene said.

Local residents are invited to visit eciahf.org and share their family stories with the community.